I finished the doors for the main entrance to the garden, between the house and garage.
It took some trial and error, but I eventually was able to hang them in a manner that allows them to close more evenly. To do so, I had to take them down and cut about 1/2 an inch of the width of each door, an easy task since I hadn't glued any of the parts. After hanging them I realized the gap was a bit wider than I had planned. I probably should have only removed 1/4 of an inch instead. Still, its not too bad and there is room for expansion and perhaps some sagging (I hope not too much).
I also finished the staining. I attempted to get the doors to match the Moon Window in the back. The end product looks nice.
I also added a couple of Chinese Temple Lion Door Knockers to each door.
I picked these up in Beijing, China in 2007 and had them in a box all this time, never sure what I was going to do with them. They are a bit big for these doors, but I still like them.
These guardians are meant to protect one from being harmed by accidents, robbery and any other forms of bad luck. The lion head is also a powerful symbol that can provide protection against harmful people, nourishes chi that enters the garden, dissolves bad energy, and brings in happy blessings when fixed to the door of a gate. Lets hope they work.
On the inside, I added a simple latch, similar to an eye hook. I picked it up at Home Depot of all places.
It looked nice because it has an old world rustic look to it. It doesn't keep the gate 100% stationary, but it looks much nicer than a contemporary, industrial looking latch. It was also relatively inexpensive compared to custom latches I could have special ordered online. Simple, utilitarian, and cheap.
I also attached very small brass eye hooks to the back of each door and the inner rails to help hold the doors in place when open. The view above also shows how I attached the dowels for the "critter catcher" at the bottom of each door.
Overall, I am pleased with the outcome. I only hope they don't sag too much over time.
